Cloth steaming and pressing machine.



B. BENNETT.

CLOTH STEAMING AND PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0. I9I3.

Patented Dee. 26, 1916.

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B. BENNETT.

CLOTH STEAIVIING AND PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. IO. 1913.

Patented Dea 26, 1916.

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BARNEY BENNETT, oF'NEw YORK, N. Y.

CLOTH STEAMING AND PRESSING- MACHINE.

)Patented Dec.. 26, 19116.

lApplication led February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,234.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, BARNEY BENNETT, a citizen of Russia, and residing at New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cloth Steaining and Pressing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to automatic means for winding, re-winding, steaming, pressing and-measuring cloth and in which the cloth may be readily inspected.

rEhemain object is toprovide a simple, reliable mechanism wherein the material is handled at a minimum expense and which is capable of complete and uniform steaming and pressing. I have also sought to construct and arrange the parts so that the material is readily accessible at all times and so that the material may be thoroughly and easily inspected if desired.

Another object is to provide mechanism which can be used to treat material of single and double width.

The invention in its preferred form contemplates the employment ofa number of features coperating to produce the above mentioned results.`

One feature of the invention consists of a winding mechanism which is provided with two rotating holders, arranged to grip a bolt of cloth between them, one holder being mounted on the frame and the other being carried on a transversely movable bar which, by means of screw-shafts may be shifted to suit different widths of bolts.

The two holders preferably each have Apins or shortzblades to engage in the ends of the wooden boards upon which the bolts of matei `into proper Vengagement with the driving mechanism therefor.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of means located at the rear of the machine for unwinding the material and passing it up over a roller and downY at which go to make up the machine.

the back of the machine for the purpose of inspecting the material.

I have, in the drawingsv accompanying this specification illustrated the invention in a concrete andl preferred embodiment but I would have it understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the `true scope and spirit of the invention.

Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, this view being taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is another sectional view taken sub- `stantiallv on the line 2-2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 3,

is a horizontal sectional view of the steam chest taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig.1. Fig. 4, is a view of the machine from one end. Fig. 5, is a view of the `opposite end of the machine.

The accompanying two sheets of drawings are largely diagrammatic since the mechanical construction will be obvious from the vfunction and mode of operation hereinafter set forth.

The sides 1 carry the various mechanisms The material is first wound from the bolt 2 onto the roller 3 which is carried by the arms 4. At the top the roller 5 guides the material above the steam chest. The steam chest consists of a stationary back portion 6 and a front portion 7 hinged on a substantially vertical aXis at 8. Slots are provided at the top and bottom of the steam chest for passage of the cloth therethrough and the spring guards 9 and 10 are preferably provided at these points to prevent the escape of an undue amount of steam. rIhe size of the guide slots and guards is dependent upon the thickness or width of material to be treated. The front of the steam chest, being hinged, may be readily opened and closed for the purpose of inserting the material and a catch 11 is preferably provided for securing it closed.

Below the steam chest are arranged the pressing rolls 12, 12 which may be suitably heated. The front roller is preferably Apressed toward the other roller by springs 13 to afford yielding pressure.v The material is indicated by dotted lines 14. Holders such `as the sockets 16 and 17 are provided for holding the board of the bolt of cloth. 'Ihe socket 17 is driven as will be hereinafter understood. The socket 16 is carried by a transversely movable bar 13 which iis guided on parallel supports 19 and 20 and is shifted by the screw shafts 19 and 20. These latter have sprockets 21 and 22 at their ends enn gaged by a chain 23.V Sprocket 24 also engages this chain and this sprocket is pro `vided with a handle 25 so that by rotating the handle 25 the chain and sprockets will be rotated and the screw shafts 19 and 20 will be turned so as to shift the bar 18 laterally and adapt the mechanism for winding material of greater' or less width.

The driving may be accomplished in any suitable manner. For convenience I have illustrated the main driving pulley 3() which drives a gear 32 through the medium of a belt 31. Gear 32 meshes with gear 33 which is on the shaft with the bevel gear 34. The latter is in mesh with the bevel pinion 35 on the upright shaft which carries the worm 36. The latter is in mesh with the worm gear 37 which drives the cone 38. Belt 39 connects the cone 36 with the cone 40. The

cone 40 drives the gear 41 which meshes pipes 44, 45, 46 and 47 communicating with suitable steam nozzles on the interior of the chamber for throwing the steam into the steam chamber in the lower portion thereof and at the front and rear of the same. In this way it is possible to steam a single or double layer of material quickly and uniformly.

The pressing rolls 12, 12 are heated inside preferably by gas from the supply pipes 48, 48. Suitable means are provided for regulating the flow of gas and the ternperature of the pressure rollers but such means is not shown herein as it is not involved in the invention herein claimed. One of the irons or pressing rolls is driven by a chain 49 which runs on the sprockets 50 and 51.

Gear 52 is driven by gear 53 and gear 52 carries with it the cone 54. This cone is connected by a belt 54 with cone pulley 55. The cone pulley 55 rotates with the sprocket 56 which is connected by the chain 57 with the sprocket 58 on shaft 72 which carries the socket 17 (see Fig. 2). The variable speed cone driving connections are provided for the purpose of affording uniform rates of winding.

In operation, the bolt of cloth to be treated is inserted in the winding device, by engaging the board which carries the bolt between the holders 16 and 17 of such device. Engagement of the holders with the ends of the board is preferably effected by providing the holders with pins or blades 16 and 17 to bite into the ends of the board. In placing the bolt within the winding device the movable holder 16 may be adjustedrby turning the crank 25 to take that particular length of board on which the bolt is wound. The cloth is now unwound from the bolt onto the roller 3, it being for the purpose passed up over the top guide 5, to roller 3 to which it may be secured. by means of the spring clamp 60. This unwinding process is to enable the cloth being pressed with the nap lying in the same direction as it was when originally pressed and first wound in the bolt form. vWhen unwinding, the cloth is passed up through the steam chest and it may or may not be passed between the pressing rolls. If passed between these rolls, the rolls will preferably be separated so as not to press the fabric twice unless desired. The separation of the rolls may be accomplished by means of the manually op erated cams 61 which, when turned, engage the lower ends of the pivoted levers 62 thereby forcing the upper ends of such levers outward so as to engage the'journals of the yielding presser roll and force this roll away from its companion roll. If desired, the cloth may be steamed while being unwound. After `being unwound, the direction of movement of the cloth is reversed. and the winding device now operates to rewind it again on the board. Entry of steam into the steam vchest is controlled by suitable valves 71, so as to treat one or both faces of the cloth and a further control may be eXercised by admitting the steam either at one or both side edges of the cloth. The cloth is in this way properly steamed and it then passes on down between the pressing rolls. As the cloth is now moving in the same direction as it was when originally pressed and wound in the bolt, the nap will be pressed in the same direction as formerly.

The roll 3, being mounted in the swinging arms may be raised to disengage its driving gearing 41, 42, and may be swung completely over the top of the frame so as to carry the roll out to the front ofthe machine where the cloth `may the more easily and conveniently be attached thereto. The reversal of movement necessary in the unwinding and rewinding processes may be4 obtained by the interposition of suitable reverse gearing or the like, or by using an electric motor or other reversible prime mover the entire machine could be run in either direction.

Means for inspecting the cloth (either before or after treatment) is preferably provided in the form of an unwinding device and an elevated guide over which the cloth passes from the unwinding device. unwinding device here shown consists of a relatively flatrod 63 which is inserted in the bolt next to the board 72 on which the cloth is wound and is provided with journals 64 on its ends fitting in suitable ""2 The Yfrom over the guide 68.

sockets on the frame, rotation being imparted to this rod through a friction gear 65 on one of its ends engaging with a corresponding gear 66. This latter gear is carried on the same shaft 73 with the worm gear 67 (Fig. 5). As the nnwinding device slowly unwinds the cloth, it may be readily inspected as it passes downward The guide 68 Vis as shown, located at quite anelevation so as to eXpose a considerable portion of the fabric for inspection. Any suitable counter1 or measuring device 69 may be provided driven by the bevel gear 70 at the end of the guide roller 5 for the purpose of measuring material which is treated in the machine.

While I am aware that automatic machines for steaming and pressing cloth have been used heretofore for that purpose, they have been more or less complicated and expensive and I have desired to avoid these objections by the simple form and arrangement herein set forth. By arranging the guide rollers the steam chest and pressure rollers so that the material passes down vertically I avoid sagging and twisting 'the material and consequently danger of iniulyl. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a guide, a vertically disposed steam chest below the guide and arranged for passage of the cloth therethrough, pressing rolls below the steam chest arranged to maintain the cloth substantially vertical in its passage from the guide, through the steam chest to the pressing rolls, and a winding device below the pressing rolls.

2. In a machine of the character. described, the combination of a guide roller, a vertically disposed steam chest arranged below the same, heated pressing rolls disposed below the steam chest and a winding device below the pressing rolls whereby the material is maintained substantially vertical from the guide roller through the steam chamber, between the pressing rolls and to the winding device.

3. In a machine of the character described, a steam chamber, steam supplying devices leading to the front and back of said steam chamber at both ends and means for pressing the steamed material.

4c. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a steam chest arranged for passage of the cloth therethrough, independently controlled steam supplying devices at the front and back of the steam chest and at both ends thereof whereby to treat the cloth on one or both faces and from one or both side edges thereof and means for advancing the cloth through the steam chest.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of means for guiding a web of material in a substantially vertical plane and a vertically disposed steam chest arranged for passage of the web of material therethrough, said steam chest having a part hinged along one edge on a vertical axis so that it may be swung to one side when positioning the web of material within the steam chest.

BARNEY BENNETT.

i Witnesses:

Roer. S. ALLYN, Y E. BRADFORD.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

